As I watch Sheree discuss her favorite old clubs in Atlanta where I'm sure she was known for throwing shade at any woman blocking her view of the ballers, I smile because for once she doesn't sound like she's Queen of Georgia.
And then goes and fucks it all up with her concluding remarks about bloggers. Make no mistake, I look at some bloggers and I think, "Wow. You're evil." In fact, I've looked at some of my archives and go damn, do some of these people owe me money?
However, I don't buy into this theory that just because you're black I have to support you. Zora Neale Hurston put it best when she said, "All my skinfolk ain't kinfolk." It's not that I don't want to support my own. I do wholeheartedly. I went to an HBCU and in attending Howard I learned about the diversity of my people and I left with the feeling that even if I didn't like any particular person personally I still wanted them to succeed. I don't wish failure on anyone.
Now, when I first watched The Real Housewives of Atlanta my initial reaction was, "Who are these saddity ass chicks constantly rambling about how elite, rich, and fly they are?" But as the Sunday marathon kept going I found myself sucked in with the masses already hooked into this show.
As entertaining as these women are, what exactly are they doing that warrants them being free of criticism? They criticized every great person of faith that has walked the Earth. Why should we spare bragging women on a reality show?
Especially women who themselves put out an image that has since been proven not entirely factual. I've watched Sheree throw shade at NeNe, make comments about "rift raft," and talk slick about people in general. All of them were colored, so by her own logic shouldn't she be ashamed of herself for breaking Black solidarity?
When annoyed by anyone Black, instead of judging them she could have just smiled, tossed her fist in the air and proceeded to hum "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
You know, live by example, my sister.
She isn't the only one, though. I've heard Gabrielle Union talk slick about bloggers in the past and recently even Nefe tried to make it seem as if bloggers were the source of her pregnancy rumors when in fact it was she who said "I'm pregnant."
Here's a fun fact: No one in life owes you shit. Particularly if you are a celebrity. You are famous, or in most cases these days, simply infamous. You get paid to do things that are for the most part hobbies. If someone says something about you that you feel reeks of hate, suck it up and move on.
I've received plenty of emails calling me all types of names. You don't see me making a post themed around the concept that because I'm black all the black readers should be polite to me. so be nice."
But, if a blogger pulls a rumor out of their ass that turns out to be something to warrant legal action, file a suit. That I get, but other than that, shh on demanding black bloggers support you when you don't support everyone black yourself.
And if we're being really honest, some people need to tell their publicists to stop filling up the inboxes of bloggers. Even I get emails from people I don't want to hear rap, could care less about what they're wearing or who they're doing.
If Sheree and others really want our support, they should get more black folk hooked up with Nielsen boxes. I'll be sure to tune in to keep your ratings and pay up. I'm sure the other bloggers would, too. But don't strut on TV bragging on what you have and what others don't then ask for unity.
